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The Journal

The Queen's Journal - a student-run newspaper at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The paper was founded in 1873 and has been continually publishing ever since. We currently publish a weekly print edition and regular online content throughout the year.

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Featured Writers

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Tadgh Dolan

Originally from County Monaghan, Ireland, Tadgh Dolan currently lives in Dublin. Tadgh enjoys writing on entertainment, spirituality and anything that sparks a meaningful conversation or makes him think differently about …

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Aimée Look

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Julia Harmsworth

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Alex Maminakis

Award-winning writer and assistant editor with professional experience in sports journalism, most recently covering Clemson University and high school athletics in South Carolina. Relocated to Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2020. University …

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Angharad Williams

Angharad Williams is a half Welsh / half Irish journalist based in Dublin, Ireland. She has worked for titles including the Metro Herald, The Sunday Times Ireland, The Sunday Independent, …

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Ian J. Taylor

After graduating from Appalachian State University in 2018, I've spent my career reporting on what matters to the communities I've been in. In my young career, I have covered everything …

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Latest Articles

$19,100 in fines issued at St. Patrick’s Day celebrations

Swaths of students took to Aberdeen St. for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations on both March 17 and 18 which posed an “immediate threat to safety in the area,” according to Kingston Police. Kingston Police issued 373 court summons and arrest, while bylaw enforcement issued 47 fines totaling $19,100 over the …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Queen’s projects $43.9 million shortfall in student fee revenue

Queen’s overall revenue is anticipated to be $37.6 million lower than was outlined in the 2022-23 operating budget. Provost Teri Shearer presented Queen’s Financial Projection Report as of Dec. 31 at the Board of Trustees meeting earlier this month. The report demonstrated the University’s projected overall operating deficit of $28.2 …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

KFL&A Public Health sees uptick in STI cases

Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health is seeing a “spike” in gonorrhea cases among post-secondary aged individuals, says Nicole Szumlanski, manager of the sexual health program at KFL&A Public Health. In response, Student Wellness Services (SWS) at Queen’s is partnering with the KFL&A Public Health Unit to increase …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

AMS Assembly discusses Black Student Clubs Caucus letter at AGM

At the AMS’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), members of the Black Clubs Caucus said the AMS doesn’t see them as a priority. Students had the opportunity to make statements and ask Assembly members questions at AGM on March 9, which was followed by a general Assembly. As the meeting kicked …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

André Picard gives talk about health care at Queen’s

“Welcome, boomers. Let’s talk about health care,” is how award-winning journalist André Picard started his lecture, “Medicare 2050: Rebuilding the Health System for an Aging Society” on March 2 at Ellis Hall. Picard has been a health reporter and columnist at The Globe and Mail for almost 36 years. He …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Prime Minister Trudeau and President of European Commission stop in Kingston

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visited Kingston’s Canadian Forces Base (CFB) on March 7. During her two-day visit to Canada, she was hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and they both attended the CFB for a joint press conference. “It is a real pleasure to welcome …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Tik Tok filters fuel the fire of self-image issues

Filters used to alter physical appearances have been around on social media for years. The famous Snapchat dog filter and the multi-coloured flower crowns of 2016 paved the way for a plethora of beauty filters that transform the way someone looks, while still being disguised as seemingly unedited. It’s no …
By Victoria C. Heath
• The Journal

‘All gone’: Queen’s students affected by earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Scrolling through Instagram, Selim Dag, ArtSci ’24, came across a photo of his hometown of Adana, Turkey. In the photograph, his town was destroyed. Thinking to himself, he thought, “What the hell? This is a joke, right?” Dag immediately rang his father, who lives in Adana. His father picked up …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Bringing Queen’s StuCons back to its 'glory days'

Rebranding and the student fee allocation of the Queen’s StuCons service was discussed at AMS Assembly on Feb. 16. Queen’s StuCons—previously named Queen’s Student Constables—recently changed its name to align with what students already call the service, StuCons Head Manager Caroline Jarrett said in an interview with The Journal. “Constables …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Let’s make tree-planting trendy

Helping at an orphanage in an impoverished country and posing with underprivileged children on Instagram proves to others what a selfless person you are—and is sure to get likes. Unfortunately, even with the best intentions and organizations, short-term ‘voluntourism’ with children can have unintended consequences. Some ‘profit orphanages’ in developing …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Queen’s updates cybersecurity measures to protect data

The Queen’s IT team faces tens of thousands of cybersecurity threats to systems every day, according to Marie-Claude Arguin, Queen’s chief information officer and associate vice-principal (IT services). Queen’s is changing its multi-factor authentication (MFA) system through the Microsoft Authenticator App on Feb. 27. The authenticator app will send two-digit …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Black-owned health services support racialized communities

Sometimes, when clients find it hard to express their feelings, psychologist E.L. Adams will switch on a song. Adams told The Journal he grew up listening to ’80s music, country, and Motown. He uses music in his practice to help clients to delve into past experiences and connect with others. …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Queen’s Project on International Development fundraises for homeless youth

Queen’s Project on International Development (QPID) aims to raise $10,000 at its annual fundraiser for the Kingston Youth Shelter. With a big tent, signs, and brightly colored shirts, QPID members will be stationed on the corner of University and Union St. on March 6 to 10 from 9 a.m. to …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Graduate students at Queen’s rally to abolish tuition

Queen’s graduate student union, PSAC 901, wants Principal Patrick Deane to abolish tuition for graduate students and increase working wages. The union held the rally outside Richardson Hall—where Principal Deane’s office is located—with speakers from the SGPS, Queen’s Faculty Union Association (QUFA), and Ontario Public interest Research Group (OPIRG) Kingston …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Queen’s responds to AMS debate incident

Queen’s is encouraging students to take cybersecurity modules in response to an incident at the AMS executive debate on Feb. 2. The University acknowledged the racist image air-dropped to students during the debate and released a statement to The Journal condemning racism and discrimination within the Queen’s community. “[Queen’s] is …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Black student associations respond to racist incident at AMS debate

This article discusses anti-Black racism and may be distressing to some readers. The Peer Support Centre and BIPOC Talk can be accessed here. Several Black student associations on campus spoke to The Journal about the recent events involving the distribution of a racist image of a candidate in the now-concluded …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Islamophobia an ongoing issue in Canadian society

The panel opened at 6 p.m. at Mackintosh-Corry Hall on Jan 30, with sociology Professor Dr. Fauzia Husain sharing her experiences of Islamophobia at Queen’s and elsewhere. “Make sure you don’t make Canada look bad,” Husain said her family told her before she came to the panel. “Make sure you …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Senate discusses changes to Orientation and reading week dates

As Senate opened on Jan. 31, AMS president Eric Sikich asked questions via Zoom regarding the sessional dates surrounding Orientation Week and the University’s “competing priorities.” “There is a general consensus of a desire to change the format that has been consistent over the previous years as the weekend model,” …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Team ERA campaigns to provide value to students

Team ERA wants to “revitalize” the AMS through advocacy, financial accessibility, and student wellness. Their platform was developed after consulting over 100 people, including students, club heads, members from each faculty society, and various university representatives. Elisabeth McHarg, ArtSci ’23, is running for vice-president (operations). From working on the AMS …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Teams ERA, KMV, and TBD face off at AMS executive debate

AMS executive candidate teams ERA, KMV, and TBD went head-to-head in a debate in Theological Hall before polls open on Feb. 6 and 7. It was the first-time teams debated in person since 2020. The panel opened with a short address from Reem Al-Rawi, the uncontested undergraduate trustee candidate, who …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Petition calls to dismantle Queen’s Autism Speaks Canada branch

Vera Aube, ArtSci ’23, was diagnosed with autism over the winter break. After three and a half years at Queen’s, they now feel “validated” to speak out on behalf of the neurodivergent community. Aube is petitioning to stop the Autism Speaks Canada (ASC) branch at Queen’s, alongside three neurodivergent friends. …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

PSAC 901 holds town hall over tuition freeze

PSAC 901, the union representing Queen’s graduate student workers, held a town hall on Jan. 23 addressing Principal Patrick Deane’s call for an end to the Ontario tuition freeze. The union published a letter addressed to Principal Deane expressing their outrage about the University lobbying for the end of a …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Student journalists and leaders should recognize their shared purpose

Student journalism is an essential service that student governments must respect—but respect goes both ways. University newspapers often have fraught relationships with the student unions that own them. This is perhaps unsurprising, considering university newspapers carry the responsibility (and burden) of reporting on these groups. The AMS funds and oversees …
By Julia Harmsworth
• The Journal

Orientation summit seeks to “overhaul” Orientation Week

Queen’s outgoing Orientation Roundtable Committee (ORT) held its first-ever Orientation summit in November for student leaders to address Orientation Week “grievances.” The AMS executive, faculty society presidents, outgoing Orientation committee chairs, and incoming Orientation committee chairs gathered for three hours in a classroom to address potential improvements to Queen’s annual …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Queen’s University Library planning renovations and strategic development

Queen’s University Library is establishing a framework for strategic development and plans to renovate Stauffer Library. In alignment with the University’s strategic plan, Queen’s Library is addressing six areas in its current strategic development period: research impact, student learning, research and teaching integration, global engagement, community relations, and organizational culture. …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Queen’s faculty union votes in favour of strike mandate

Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA)—the labour union that represents Queen’s faculty and staff—has voted in support of a strike mandate. 82 per cent of the 1077 voters voted in favour of a strike should strike action become necessary. QUFA initiated this member vote at their Fall General Meeting on Dec. …
By Julia Harmsworth
• The Journal

Principal Deane lobbies to end university tuition fee freeze

Principal Patrick Deane is lobbying the provincial government to end the current tuition fee freeze—to ensure the University receives adequate funding. The Government of Ontario reduced tuition fees by 10 per cent and froze fees for funding-eligible domestic students in 2019. In March, they extended the freeze through the 2022-23 …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal

Queen’s Commerce club suspended after serious incident

Queen’s Finance Association (QFA) activities were suspended on Nov. 3 following a serious incident of non-academic misconduct. QFA hosts Canada’s oldest undergraduate finance conference called QFAC. The 2022-23 conference has been canceled alongside other events following the serious incident of non-academic misconduct. Each year, QFA runs panels, sends newsletters, and …
By Aimée Look
• The Journal